Makita 40V max XGT 21-inch Commercial Lawn Mower Review

With more Pro landscapers looking to replace or supplement their gas-powered machinery with electric solutions, many brands are adapting to those needs. In steps the Makita 40V Commercial Lawn Mower, which is the brand’s first entry into the 40V XGT mower world. We’ve had a chance to use it, and I’ll share what the GML01 brings to the table for commercial landscapers. Is it worth making the leap and leaving gas behind? Let’s find out!

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Makita 40V Commercial Lawn Mower Performance

Cutting Power

For testing, I kept things pretty straightforward by mowing around our shop. This is a good test for the GML01, as our lawn is serviced weekly by a Professional crew, meaning that our mowing is very similar to a regular maintenance cut. This is exactly where the Makita GLM01 shines.

At its heart, this GML01 is powered by a brushless motor that produces a top blade speed of up to 2800 RPM. This translates to a blade tip speed of 15,400 FPM during normal operationl

Along with the Normal mode, Makita included Soft No-Load and Noise Reduction modes. The no-load mode is sort of like an Eco mode—it starts the blades at 2,300 RPM (12,650 FPM) with the ability to ramp up to max speed in thicker turf. This helps extend your total runtime if you’re just performing a simple maintenance cut.

If you’re mowing late in the evening or early in the morning, the Noise Reduction mode caps the blade speed at 2300 RPM to reduce the overall noise level. A control panel on the operator’s right-hand side allows you to easily toggle between modes on the fly.

Runtime

There are a number of factors that affect runtime estimates. Everything from grass species and density, grass height, moisture content, and general weather conditions.

Makita tells us you can expect to cut up to 1.2 acres(52,272 sq ft) per charge when using the two kitted 40V 8.0Ah batteries. While I certainly believe that’s possible, 1.2 acres is a lot when you’re talking about a 21-inch self-propelled lawn mower. Fortunately, the batteries do switch over automatically, so there’s no need to stop and rearrange batteries or turn a selector switch.

Of course, most lawn care crews aren’t tackling that large of a property in one shot with their walk-behind mowers. Instead, that estimate offers an idea of what you can piece together over the course of the day before needing to swap batteries.

If you are considering this model for your personal lawn, I like it for lots up to 1/2 an acre, with the possibility to stretch that to 2/3 acres in a pinch. Any more than that, and you’re going to wish you had a riding mower.

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Self-Propelled Drive

Of all the mowers I’ve tested over the years, I have to say that Makita’s self-propelled drive system is one of the most straightforward, easy-to-use systems on the market.

The design centers around a cruise-control lever that lets you set a constant mowing speed. The drive speeds range from 1 MPH to 3 MPH, and I found it most comfortable with the speed lever set to about 75%. Moreover, rear-wheel drive improves traction and performance on slopes and uneven terrain.

Cut Quality

Like many self-propelled and walk-behind mowers, this one has 3-in-1 grass disposal capabilities, allowing for mulching, bagging, or side discharge. The bag has a 2-bushel capacity if you choose to go the bagging route.

To get started, I set the deck height to 3 inches and began mowing with the mower in the mulching and bagging configurations. As expected, the GML01 sailed through this portion of our testing with ease. The mulching and bagging characteristics were right in line with what we expect from a Pro-grade mower, despite it only having one 21-inch blade. From our observations, the clippings were fine enough to blend in with the surrounding grass, and there were very few stragglers left behind while bagging.

The bagging and mulching configurations are pretty standard, but Makita’s rear side-discharge chute is a little different than the norm. Rather than shooting clippings off to the side, the mower directs the grass downward, right behind the rear wheel.

Given that this chute features an additional 90-degree curve to direct cuttings downward, it raises a few questions about its effectiveness in thicker grass. I wondered if it would cause clogging like we see in other rear discharge designs.

Starting out, everything went pretty well, and the mower directed the lighter Bahiagrass clippings away from my path. The problems began when I encountered some thicker St. Augustine grass. Now remember, I’m only removing about an inch of grass (or less) on each pass.

The issue stemmed from Makita’s grass-dispersion pattern… or lack thereof. The chutes’ design naturally creates clumped piles of grass as you mow—think of hay in a field before it’s baled. The problem is that when you make your second pass in the opposite direction, the mower naturally sucks in old clippings, which ultimately clog the chute.

With all that said, I found that it handles the lighter Bahiagrass with relative ease. I imagine you would see similar success with lighter grass species, such as Zoysia or winter Ryegrass.

Overall, the actual cut quality was clean, even, and the GML01 left only the occasional stick up, but I’m willing to blame that on user error.

While this mower performs best on regular maintenance cuts, it’s still perfectly capable of handling thicker overgrowth. Given our experience with the discharge chute, I’d recommend setting the deck height to 4 inches and using the collection bag. This will allow the blades to work efficiently with reduced risks of clogging or stalling.

Makita 40V Commercial Lawn Mower Design Notes

Build Quality

The GML01Z mower has 9-inch wheels on the front and back, and a commercial-grade 16-gauge steel deck for a sturdy, rugged design. It holds an IPX4 rating for weather resistance, meaning it can withstand splashes from any direction.

When you’re done mowing, the handle folds up for compact vertical storage, taking up less space in your shop or trailer.

Ergonomics and Controls

Looking up towards the controls, you won’t find many surprises in the overall design. You have a forward and rear presence bar to control the blades and the self-propelled drive system. Down on the left handlebar, you’ll find the speed control lever.

On the right, you have the power button and mode selection buttons. All of the controls are well within reach, even while you’re mowing. On top of that, Makita offers two handle-height options so you can tailor it to your needs.

My only real complaint about the handlebars is that Makita didn’t include any type of padding; they’re just bare metal. But realistically, this may be the smart choice—one last thing to get torn up on the landscaping trailer!

Deck Height Adjustment

To adjust the deck height, Makita equipped this mower with a single-point height adjustment lever that ranges from 1.25 to 4 inches. This configuration is a little uncommon for Pro-level mowers, but the convenience of making quick adjustments is unmatched.

Makita 40V Commercial Lawn Mower Price

This mower retails for $999 as a kit with two 4.0Ah batteries and a charger. If you’re after more runtime, there’s also an 8.0Ah kit that retails for $1299. Makita backs your purchase with a 3-year warranty.

Should You Buy It?

After getting some hands-on time with this mower, it’s clear that Makita set its sights on supplementing gas-powered equipment in the Pro arena. The GML01 is rugged, well-balanced, and has plenty of power to handle weekly maintenance cuts where the larger ZTs simply can’t reach. Furthermore, the price tag is fairly reasonable compared to other brands targeting Pro-grade walk-behind mowers.

The big thing is the rear discharge. If you prefer discharging your clippings over bagging and mulching, this might not be the best option for you.

In the end, Makita produced a capable commercial mower that excels at the type of maintenance cuts most landscape Pros perform every day—and that’s exactly where the GML01 earns its keep.

Specs

• Model: Makita GML01Z
• Power Source: Makita 40V max XGT battery (x2)
• Deck Width: 22 in.
• Blade Length: 21 in.
• Max Blade Speed: 2800 RPM
• Drive Speed: 1 – 3 MPH
• Deck Height: 1.25 – 4 in.
• Bag Capacity: 2 bushels
• Length: 68 in.
• Width: 23.5 in.
• Wheel Diameter: 9 in.
• Height: 43.5 inches
• Weight: 68.1 pounds (bare), 76.5 lbs (with kitted batteries)